BERLIN – “For some time I have thought that we must exploit every vaccine approved by the EMA. And it is clear that I would prefer a European order. But if it were not there, we would have to take the German path: we can do it and we will do it”. Pressed by some weighty governors like the Bavarian Markus Soeder and the Berliner Michael mueller, distressed by rapidly increasing infections and a vaccination campaign at the stake, Angela Merkel said Germany is ready to detach its train from the European train if no orders for the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrive from the EU.
Research
Journey inside the Sputnik
by our correspondent Rosalba Castelletti
Furthermore Merkel has hinted that Germany, now in full third wave of coronavirus, must get used to the idea of a return to the lockdown. The incidence, the parameter that is taken as a reference to decide the restrictions, is now 95.6 infected per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last seven days. Last week it was 72. A meeting with the governors is scheduled for Monday to decide what to do.
On the vaccine controversy, after the disaster of the stop at AstraZeneca, Berlin slips into another mess. The country that had insisted most on a European negotiation on vaccines and which has always waved the European flag to prevent individual countries from escaping forward, said it was ready to play the Russian card, and even alone, if necessary.
The administration of AstraZeneca resumes
On the day that the administration of AstraZeneca also resumed, Merkel announced that the German-American BioNtech-Pfizer has guaranteed 580 thousand more doses to Germany. But the problem, in addition to supply gaps, is the already robust German skepticism of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
In any case, the government intends to accelerate: in the last week 1.8 million doses were administered. In the week after Easter, the pace is expected to increase to 3.3 million.
Europe and vaccines, promises are no longer enough
by Tonia Mastrobuoni
The involvement of general practitioners
Another novelty announced by the Chancellor is that from the beginning of April, GPs will also inject the vaccines. The idea of the government is that at first a third, a million doses, are administered by them. It means that each of the 50,000 doctors’ offices will have around 20 doses available per week. Not that great. From the end of April, the burden of the vaccination campaign will fall mainly on general practitioners.
In the face of a still slow campaign, not even 9% received the first dose and another 3.5% the second, Merkel insisted again tonight that “by the end of the summer every German will have received an appointment for a vaccine” .
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